A historic Japanese Estate & Gardens in Saratoga, CA was the gorgeous zen setting for the wedding of Groom R. & Bride L. The couple had been living in Nevada and we corresponded by email and talked by phone to create their ceremony. They chose the elements they wanted from my Build Your Own Wedding ceremony templates, to which I added my own words and wordsmith'ed the pieces together. Afterwards the Bride & Groom told me the ceremony was exactly how they wanted it.

Hakone Gardens is a lovely venue; the property includes a bamboo forest, Tea house, and bridge. Due to the surroundings, I added a last minute tweak to the ceremony by also greeting the guests with "konnichiwa" (good afternoon in Japanese) and I was happy to hear the Groom's grandmother and uncle respond back the same!

The couple looked so happy and beautiful (yes, the Groom too); the guys were in gray tuxes and the lively bridesmaids were in purple dresses.

I officiated the ceremony next to the koi pond in the late afternoon on a sunny day. I even stayed for the dinner, thanks to the generosity of my bride & groom. Domo arigato.